1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image formation systems capable of switching between a mode requesting immediately executing a print job independently of another print job and a mode requesting that executing a print job be held back until a predetermined condition is satisfied, image formation apparatuses for the image formation systems, and methods for processing performed in the image formation apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various approaches have been made to enable various apparatuses to achieve reduced power consumption. Such approaches have also been continued for image formation apparatuses such as printers, copiers and the like.
One such approach is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-324650, More specifically, the publication discloses that in a sleep mode when a print job is received from an external device the job is temporarily stored as a held job and when a predetermined execution starting condition is established a necessary functional block is switched from a non-conducted state to a conducted state to execute the held job.
Another such approach proposes causing an image formation apparatus to perform an image formation process (hereinafter also referred to as a “printing process” or “processing . . . for printing”) intensively to perform a warm up operation less frequently and also achieve an increased sleep time. This allows the image formation apparatus as a whole to achieve reduced power consumption. More specifically, in warming up, a fuser and fixer is increased in temperature, a transfer medium is electrically charged and other various types of initial operations are performed. This requires a relatively large amount of electric power, and less frequently performing a warm up operation can contribute to reduced power consumption. Furthermore, the printing process intensively performed allows a print engine to have its various units without electric power supplied thereto, i.e., a sleep state, to be held for an increased period of time.
The printing process is intensively performed, as described above, in one manner, as proposed as follows: An image formation apparatus receives a print job, for which a mode requesting that the print job be immediately processed, independently of another print job, for printing, or a mode requesting that processing the print job for printing be held back until a predetermined condition is satisfied, is set. Hereinafter, the former mode will also be referred to as an “immediate print mode” and the latter mode will also be referred to as a “queue and hold mode”.
More specifically, a user requesting some printing process selects the immediate print mode or the queue and hold mode in generating a print job. The image formation apparatus receives such print jobs, and for those thereof with the immediate print mode set, the image formation apparatus starts the printing process in the order in which they are received, whereas those thereof with the queue and hold mode set are queued and held in a certain memory area. Subsequently when the predetermined condition with regard to the queued and held print jobs is satisfied (typically, when the queued and held print jobs reach a predetermined number of sheets to be printed or larger), the image formation apparatus starts to process the queued and held print jobs for printing. Note that in view of reducing power consumption, it is most efficient that processing print jobs with the immediate print mode set for printing is followed by processing print jobs with the queue and hold mode set for printing.
Such an image formation apparatus that can set the immediate print mode and the queue and hold mode will serve both users who desire to quickly receive their printed matters (i.e., users who designate the immediate print mode) and users who may receive their printed matters anytime (i.e., users who designate the queue and hold mode).
A typical image formation apparatus performing a printing process has sheets therefor accommodated in a sheet feeding cassette or the like and for example when the cassette runs out of sheets it is often the case that the image formation apparatus notifies for example a user who is an owner of a currently executed print job that the cassette runs out of sheets.
Simply applying such a conventional notification scheme to the image formation apparatus that can set the immediate print mode and the queue and hold mode, as described above, however, does not provide sufficient convenience for its users. More specifically, for example when the image formation apparatus runs out of sheets while executing a print job with the queue and hold mode designated, and notifies a user who is the owner of that print job that the apparatus runs out of sheets, the apparatus may not immediately be resupplied with sheets, since it is often the case that the user thinks that he/she may receive his/her printed matter anytime. The image formation apparatus will thus be left with no sheets.
With the image formation apparatus left with no sheets, a user who designates the immediate print mode and desires to quickly receive his/her printed matter may not be able to do so.